Is all c02 the same?

[Grant211]

if I go to a sporting goods store to get it filled or if I went somewhere else..it doesn't matter right? C02 is just c02 right?

[KillianBoy]

Grant211,
It's not the matter of different CO2 but how they treat the tank. Sporting goods (I assume paintball refill), will just fill tank with whatever CO2 they have, same as welding, fire extinguisher and AirGas shops, but they won't hydro-test or clean tank. AirGas shops will do both and also fill with "food grade" CO2 (most times this type of CO2 doesn't matter), but old tanks need to be tested and cleaned.
KB

[cubby_swans]

No i'm not buying that. They have to get their tanks filled from somewhere. It's not like they are sucking co2 out of the atmosphere to fill up their tanks. The paintball shop I go to has 100lb cylinders that they get delivered from the big gas supply places.

[KillianBoy]

cubby_swans,
I don't know if you understand what I'm saying. I understand the shops get their tanks from the Air Gas professionals, the tanks I'm talking about are ones that beer drinkers have. Some have bought tanks used on ebay or craigslist, you don't know what these tanks were originally used for, some welders or aquarium owners really don't care about what comes out as long as it is CO2, unlike kegerator owners. New tanks that come with kegerators really don't have to be cleaned or hydrotested, but it might be a good idea to do it eventually.
KB

[cubby_swans]

The OP wasn't asking about where some people get their co2 tanks he was asking if some place like a sporting goods store was OK to get a fill from. I assume he is asking about filling a tank he owns. Not if it is OK to get a tank from them. I have only heard of secondary places (like paintball/sporting goods) doing refills, not keeping spare tanks on hand to pick up or swap out.

I would get my tank filled up from a sporting goods store without hesitation.

Would I swap out with them or get one from them? Yeah, as long as the tank was within date. AirGas isn't cleaning tanks on every refill, I would put money on that. I'm sure they do when they test and re-certify them. I'm not sure where you think 'dirty' co2 is coming from, anyways, to foul up tanks. I've looked at several of the big suppliers and you can't find anything that isn't something like 99.97% co2 anyway. That all trickles down. Paintball shops, sporting goods shops, fire extinguisher fill stations, welders, aquarium owners... they're all getting the same co2 that any place serving fountain soda's or beer are getting.